Gevo Produces Isobutanol, Hydrocarbons and Jet Fuel from Cellulosic Biomass

Friday, Jul 30, 2010

Gevo, a privately held renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today announced that it has successfully produced isobutanol from fermentable sugars derived from cellulosic biomass. The company also successfully converted the cellulosic isobutanol into isobutylene and paraffinic kerosene (jet fuel).

“As the cellulosic ethanol industry becomes operational, companies could have the option to produce isobutanol instead of ethanol.”

The production of isobutanol from cellulosic biomass is the subject of a previously announced $1.8 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy and Agriculture’s Biomass R&D Program. The grant supports the ongoing development of a cellulosic biocatalyst that Gevo exclusively licensed from Cargill.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates Gevo’s progress in making its biocatalyst viable for use in cellulosic biorefineries,” said Dr. Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo. “As the cellulosic ethanol industry becomes operational, companies could have the option to produce isobutanol instead of ethanol.”

About Isobutanol: A Viable Platform for Renewable Fuels and Chemicals

Isobutanol is a naturally occurring, four-carbon alcohol found in food and some alcoholic beverages. It is also a “drop-in” platform chemical with broad applications in the product of approximately 40 percent of petrochemicals and 100 percent of hydrocarbon fuels. It can be used directly for a solvent and converted to isobutylene, the raw material for plastics and fiber. Gevo believes its isobutanol will provide a route to the renewable production of rubber, polypropylene, polystyrene, and PET. Isobutanol can also be used directly as a gasoline blendstock and as a building block in the production of hydrocarbons found in petroleum-derived gasoline, jet and diesel fuels.

Source: Business Wire